This invention relates generally to extruders, particularly those used in the food-processing industry, and more particularly relates to the continuously operable feed-roll-actuated extruders used in the food-processing industry to produce wafer-type products such as cookies, etc.
As is well known in the food-processing field, extruders of the particular type just noted utilize one or more rotatable feed-rolls mounted in media supply hoppers to force a continuous relatively thin stream of food product or other such media out of the hopper and onto or into some further processing apparatus. Usually, such feed-rolls comprise elongated metal cylinders having axially extending ridges about their outer periphery, whose cross-section may vary considerably but often is sawtooth-shaped. In a typical example, a pair of closely positioned counter-rotating such rollers are mounted within, or partially within, the supply hopper near its bottom, and a particular spacing is provided between them which will cause a continuous supply of media to be forced out below them at a particular pressure, depending upon their rotational spaced and surface configuration.
This pressurized stream of media is then directed generally downward into an elongated filler block whose cross-sectional shape complements the generally triangular open area immediately between and below the feed-rolls so as to interfit closely therewith and which is provided with a series of adjacent, downwardly opening through-passages, through which the pressurized media is fed. An elongated die having a series of adjacent through-passages ("cups") is disposed directly beneath the filler block, with the passages of each in registration so that the media moves downwardly through the filler block and then through the die openings in generally continuous cylindrical streams whose cross-sectional shape is determined by the geometry of the die openings and often has some particular peripheral configuration. As the streams of media move downwardly through the die openings, they are typically severed transversely with repeated knife strokes across the bottom of the die to provide a continuing succession of wafers which drop downwardly onto a moving conveyor belt or the like immediately therebeneath.
Prior patents assigned to the Assignee of the present invention which disclose subject matter that generally illustrates apparatus of the type noted above include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,322,570, 4,586,888, 4,395,427, 3,669,587, 3,547,050, 3,469,540 and 3,448,696.
Feed-rolls of the above type are necessarily large and relatively massive members, and since the relative spacing between such rollers and the filler blocks or dies, as well as between one another when used in pairs or other combinations, is very close and rather critical, it has heretofore been customary to rigidly mount such feed-rolls in a basically permanent and fixed manner. Generally this was done by providing accurately machined semi-circular half-journals in the rigid support frame of the machine and a yoke-like cap member that mated with the frame and also had semi-circular half-journals to fit closely around the outwardly extended machined ends of the feed-rolls. These were rigidly bolted together to provide a unified support structure which was rigidly fixed in place. Since cleanliness and sanitation are very important aspects of food-manufacturing machinery, however, it is necessary to disassemble such feed-roll units on the production floor for periodic cleaning of them and their related filler blocks, dies, etc. This has always required a sizeable and disruptive undertaking of personnel and related lifting machinery, etc., with a corresponding loss of production time. Of course, the requisite reassembly also involved an inevitable risk of error in assembly, adjustment, etc., as well as a corresponding need for trial runs, etc. This same sequence of events and conditions also accompanied desired changes in the filler block and/or die used for manufacturing a particular product, since removal of the superimposed feed-roll, and related structure has been a prerequisite to that as well.